Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Its Effect on Mental Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsMental Health ImpactCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Mental Health Impact

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Coping

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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is asleep-related breathing disorder that can cause your breathing to stop and restart several times while you’re asleep.Your breathing can pause for anywhere between 10 to 30 seconds at a time, as often as 400 times per night.

If you or a loved one have obstructive sleep apnea, you’re not alone. It is estimated that over 10% of adults and 2% to 4% of children worldwide live with this condition.

This article discusses the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. We also explore the mental health impact of this condition and some coping strategies that may be helpful.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

These are some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea:

A loved one you share a bed with may be the first to notice symptoms like snoring, gasping for air, and breathing interruptions.

Mental Health Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

You’ve probably noticed that you’re not able to function at full capacity or in the best mood when you haven’t slept well. A 2015 study notes that sleep apnea can affect yourmental healthand cause you to experience symptoms such as:

In addition to these symptoms, sleep apnea is also linked to an increased risk of developing mental health conditions, such as:

Better Sleep Can Improve Stress Response and Increase Positivity, Study Shows

Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

These are some of the potential causes of obstructive sleep apnea:

Men or people who were assigned male at birth are twice as likely to have sleep apnea than women or people who were assigned female at birth—the highest prevalence of the condition is among middle-aged men.

Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Diagnosing sleep apnea may involve the following steps:

If the majority of your apneas (or sleep cessations) are obstructive, you will be diagnosed with OSA versuscentral sleep apnea (CSA). The main difference is that OSA occurs when you can’t breathe normally due to upper airway obstruction, while CSA occurs because your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.The distinction in diagnosis will allow your healthcare provider to determine the next steps for treatment.

If the majority of your apneas (or sleep cessations) are obstructive, you will be diagnosed with OSA versuscentral sleep apnea (CSA). The main difference is that OSA occurs when you can’t breathe normally due to upper airway obstruction, while CSA occurs because your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.

The distinction in diagnosis will allow your healthcare provider to determine the next steps for treatment.

Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Treating obstructive sleep apnea is important, because if left untreated it can cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, metabolic disorders, and increased risk of mortality.Daytime sleepiness can also lead to workplace accidents or car crashes, which can be fatal.

Listed below are some of the treatment options for sleep apnea.

Lifestyle Changes

Mild sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, such as:

Breathing Devices

These are some of the types of breathing devices your healthcare provider may recommend, depending on your symptoms:

Oral Appliances

Dental devices that hold your tongue or jaw forward while you sleep, so they don’t press on your airways, can help treat obstructive sleep apnea.

You will have to visit a dentist, who will take your measurements and make the appliance to your size.

Surgery

If you have severe obstructive sleep apnea that is not responding to treatment, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to:

Can Sleep Apnea Be Cured?

Coping With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Being diagnosed with a serious health condition like obstructive sleep apnea that is associated with major health risks can be distressing. These are some strategies that can help you cope with the condition:

What Is Sleep Therapy?

A Word From Verywell

Obstructive sleep apnea is a health condition that can affect your physical and mental health. While you seek treatment for it, it’s also important to take steps to cope with it emotionally.

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea.American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.Rundo JV.Obstructive sleep apnea basics.Cleve Clin J Med.2019;86(9 Suppl 1):2-9. doi:10.3949/ccjm.86.s1.02National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea in adults.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2015;6(5):273-285. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318Kaufmann CN, Susukida R, Depp CA.Sleep apnea, psychopathology, and mental health care.Sleep Health. 2017;3(4):244-249. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.003National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Goyal M, Johnson J.Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and management.Mo Med. 2017;114(2):120-124.Mayo Clinic.Central Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Causes.Lévy P, Kohler M, McNicholas WT, et al.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15015. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.15Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657St-Onge MP, Tasali E.Weight loss is integral to obstructive sleep apnea management: Ten-year follow-up in Sleep AHEAD.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;203(2):161-162. doi:10.1164/rccm.202007-2906EDIoannidou D, Kalamaras G, Kotoulas SC, Pataka A.Smoking and obstructive sleep apnea: Is there an association between these cardiometabolic risk factors?Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(11):1137. doi:10.3390/medicina57111137

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea.American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.Rundo JV.Obstructive sleep apnea basics.Cleve Clin J Med.2019;86(9 Suppl 1):2-9. doi:10.3949/ccjm.86.s1.02National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea in adults.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2015;6(5):273-285. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318Kaufmann CN, Susukida R, Depp CA.Sleep apnea, psychopathology, and mental health care.Sleep Health. 2017;3(4):244-249. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.003National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Goyal M, Johnson J.Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and management.Mo Med. 2017;114(2):120-124.Mayo Clinic.Central Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Causes.Lévy P, Kohler M, McNicholas WT, et al.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15015. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.15Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657St-Onge MP, Tasali E.Weight loss is integral to obstructive sleep apnea management: Ten-year follow-up in Sleep AHEAD.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;203(2):161-162. doi:10.1164/rccm.202007-2906EDIoannidou D, Kalamaras G, Kotoulas SC, Pataka A.Smoking and obstructive sleep apnea: Is there an association between these cardiometabolic risk factors?Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(11):1137. doi:10.3390/medicina57111137

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea.American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.Rundo JV.Obstructive sleep apnea basics.Cleve Clin J Med.2019;86(9 Suppl 1):2-9. doi:10.3949/ccjm.86.s1.02National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea in adults.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2015;6(5):273-285. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318Kaufmann CN, Susukida R, Depp CA.Sleep apnea, psychopathology, and mental health care.Sleep Health. 2017;3(4):244-249. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.003National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.Goyal M, Johnson J.Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and management.Mo Med. 2017;114(2):120-124.Mayo Clinic.Central Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Causes.Lévy P, Kohler M, McNicholas WT, et al.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15015. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.15Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657St-Onge MP, Tasali E.Weight loss is integral to obstructive sleep apnea management: Ten-year follow-up in Sleep AHEAD.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;203(2):161-162. doi:10.1164/rccm.202007-2906EDIoannidou D, Kalamaras G, Kotoulas SC, Pataka A.Smoking and obstructive sleep apnea: Is there an association between these cardiometabolic risk factors?Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(11):1137. doi:10.3390/medicina57111137

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Sleep apnea.

Rundo JV.Obstructive sleep apnea basics.Cleve Clin J Med.2019;86(9 Suppl 1):2-9. doi:10.3949/ccjm.86.s1.02

National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea in adults.

Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2015;6(5):273-285. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318

Kaufmann CN, Susukida R, Depp CA.Sleep apnea, psychopathology, and mental health care.Sleep Health. 2017;3(4):244-249. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.003

National Library of Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.

Goyal M, Johnson J.Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and management.Mo Med. 2017;114(2):120-124.

Mayo Clinic.Central Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Causes.

Lévy P, Kohler M, McNicholas WT, et al.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15015. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.15

Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657

St-Onge MP, Tasali E.Weight loss is integral to obstructive sleep apnea management: Ten-year follow-up in Sleep AHEAD.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;203(2):161-162. doi:10.1164/rccm.202007-2906ED

Ioannidou D, Kalamaras G, Kotoulas SC, Pataka A.Smoking and obstructive sleep apnea: Is there an association between these cardiometabolic risk factors?Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(11):1137. doi:10.3390/medicina57111137

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